Bamboo: myths and legends

Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of longevity, while in India it is a symbol of friendship. In Japan, bamboo forests often surround Shinto shrines as a sacred protection against evil spirits. In Vietnam, bamboo is a symbol for the soul and often represents ideas of hard-working, optimism, unity and adaptability. Vietnamese culture is sometimes referred to as "bamboo culture." A Vietnamese proverb states, "When bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear," the meaning being that Vietnam will never be annihilated--if the previous generation dies, the children will take their place.

Several Asian culture believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. In the Philippine creation myth, legend states that the first man and first woman were split open from a bamboo stem that emerged on an island created after the battle of the elemental forces. In Malaysian legends a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside. The Japanese folktale "Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" (Taketori Monogatari) tells the story of a princess from the Moon emerging from a section of shining bamboo. In Hawaiian legend, bamboo is considered the corporal form of the Polynesian creator god, Kane Milohai.